Dear friends in Christ

The mission to spread the Faith of Christ is at the very heart of the Gospel: Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News. The followers of Jesus - the Church - has attempted to do this ever since the day of Pentecost. The liturgy of this Sunday makes us examine our consciences as to wether we truly work for the spreading of the Kingdom of God on earth; is this something we do with urgency, with enthusiasm and within each environment that we find ourselves? As St Paul reminds us: Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!

You may have seen that the work has begun to construct the outside Altar in the Memorial Garden. This will eventually be surmounted by a stone statue of Christ, The Good Shepherd, which is being carved by a monk in the Abbey of Flavigny in Burgundy; the same monk - Dom Jean Bosco - who fashioned the statues that adorn the tower of our church. The front of the Altar will be adorned with a simple gold mosaic with a Greek Cross and the letters representing Jesus Christ, Victor Over Death which is often found in the Roman Catacombs; this is the world of the local artist. Paul Siggins, who also produced the mosaic in the Parish Centre. All this work has been made possible by the generosity of Parishioners in memory of loved-ones.

Wednesday, 11th February is the Patronal Festival of our Parish, Our Lady of Lourdes. There will be a School Mass in the morning and the main celebration for the Parish is the evening Mass at eight o'clock followed by drinks etcetera in the Gilbert Room. God bless you during the coming week!

Fr Kevin Hale